Squeeze driven rotating device



Jan. 7, 195s V. O. DOWDLE SQUEEZE DRIVEN ROTATING DEVICE Filed May 24,1955 JZ/J f ATTO NEK SQUEEZE DRIVEN ROTATING DEVICE Vestel O. Dowdle,Kansas City, M0.

Application May 24, 1955, Serial No. 510,817 1 Claim. (Cl. 74-127) Thisinvention relates to hand tools employing mechanisms for translatingreciprocatory straight line motion into unidirectional rotary motion ofa shaft and refers more particularly to a squeeze-driven rotary devicewherein a shaft is rotated on the squeeze phase of the operating strokebut is stationary on the return phase of the stroke, thereby providing asqueeze-driven one directional rotation producing mechanism readilyadapted to hand tools such as screw drivers and drills.

Conventional ratchet `or spiral-drive screw drivers are well knownwherein the handle is reciprocated axially relative the blade shank inorder to turn and drive the screw. Forward thrust of the handle of sucha screw driver is converted into rotary motion of the blade by means oftelescoping elements within the shank, one of said elements having apair of reversed spiral grooves, either of which grooves beingselectable to control the direction of rotation. A ratchet of some sortallows the blade t-o remain stationary during the return movement of thehandle and the return stroke may be aided by a spring built into theunit.

Notwithstanding the use of the spring return, it is difficult to keepthe screw driver blade in the slotted head of the screw during thereturn movement, due to the release of pressure thereon, unless twohands are used, one hand being employed to maintain the screw driverblade seated while the other lightly holds or guides the screw driverhandle as it moves away from the blade. Cramped quarters often make itdesirable to operate a screw driver of this general character with butone hand. Additionally, the excessive pressure required to operateconventional screw drivers of this character often tends to injure theslotted head of the screw, thus automatically excluding this type ofscrew driver from delicate yor precise work. The danger of the screwdriver blade -slipping out of the slotted head of the screw creates aconstant hazard to the operator and the area `of work surrounding thescrew being driven. Additionally, in such a conventional -screw driver,both the rotating and driving forces in the screw driving operation areproduced simultaneously and may not be varied independently of oneanother.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a squeezedriven rotating devicewherein unidirectional rotary motion of a shaft ina sleeve may be produced without the exertion of force along the axis ofrotation of the sleeve as in a conventional spiral drive screw driver.

Another object of the present invention is to provide 'a squeeze drivenrotating device wherein unidirectional rotary motion of a shaft in asleeve may be produced by reciprocatory longitudinal motion fof a slidebetween the sleeve `and the rotating shaft without the exertion of forcealong the -axis of rotation of the sleeve as in a conventional spiraldrive screw driver.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a squeeze drivenrotating device of the above character wherein the direction of rotarymotion may be easily and States Patent conveniently reversed withoutdisplacement of the main body of the rotating device.

A `further object of the present invention is to provide a squeeze`driven rotary device wherein Ithe axial force applied to a screw ordrill bit, etc., may be precisely conltr-olled during the driving of ascrew thus permitting the use of the device in precise and delicatework.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a squeeze drivenrotary device which is operable entirely with one hand without need forguiding or positioning with the other hand.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a squeezedriven rotary device which, since the rotatory and driving forces areproduced independently of one another, may be constructed in :anydesired size convenient to hand operation.

Other and further objects and features wil appear in the course of thefollowing description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification andare to be read in conjunction therewith, embodiments of the invention:are shown and like numerals are employed to designate like parts in thevarious views.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with parts in section of a squeeze-drivenrotatory device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts in section of the device shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3 3 of Fig. 1 in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is Ia sectional view taken along the lines 4 4 of Fig. 1 in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken along the lines 5--5 of Fig. 3 in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, palm bar 10 is shaped to comfortably iit thepalm of `the hand and has threaded recess 11 in the flat undersidethereof. Recess 11 receives the counter-threaded end 12 of hollow sleeve13 which, as seen in Fig. 1, is mounted on and at right angles to palmbar 10.

Sleeve 13 is of convenient length relative the length of human fingersand has bearings 13a and 13b xedly attached at its upper and lower ends.Opposed longitudinal slots 14 in sleeve 13 run from the upper surface ofbearing portion 13b to the vicinity of the underside of palm bar 10.

Rotatable member or shank 15, having extension shank 15a, is mountedwithin sleeve 13 and is relatively loosely received between bearingsurfaces 13a and 13b to permit rotation. Extension shank 15a is adaptedto receive conventional female socket attachments of screw driverblades, drills, etc. Conventional washers, such as are shown at 16, maybe positioned between the ends of member 15 and the bearing surfaces orfball bearing units, if desired. Thus, a portion of rotatable member 15is enclosed by bar 10, sleeve 13 and bearing 13b, exclusive Iof slots14. A friction reducing ball bear-ing 13e may be positioned between theupper end of rotatable member 15 and the inside face of recess 11 in bar10. A plurality -of right or left-hand parallel spiral grooves 17 arecut in the surface of the enclosed portion of member 15. Opposing,intersecting and self-parallel right or left-'hand spiral grooves 18 may.also be cut in the surface of member 15, preferably having commonorigins and equal angular deflections with grooves 17, thus providing apair of reversed sets of parallel grooves. Grooves 18 lare thus simplythe reverse of grooves 17. Preferably,

each set of grooves has the upper walls adjacent the palm bar undercut(17a and 18a) and the lower walls sloped (17b and 18b). As the sets `ofgrooves Iare reversed, this construction makes the member 15 roughlyequivalent in cross section at any point to a two-way ratchet wheel aSmay clearly be seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

A nger bar assembly `provides reciprocatory longitudinal motion relativerotatable member 15. Circular band 19 is concentrically positionedbetween the outer surface of rotatable member 15 and the inner surfaceof sleeve 13 so as to slidingly move therebetween. Band 19 hasperforation 20 in one side thereof. Transverse opposed arms or lingerAbars .21 and '22 are attached to `band 19 or -may be made lintegraltherewith. The -nger bars extend through sleeve slots 14 and are roughlyof equal diameter to the slots so as to smoothly ride therein inreciprocatory motion. 'Concentrically fitted outer `guards 23 aremounted on the linger bars to aid in positioning and Vto protect theoperators fingers from the edges of slots 14. Arm or linger bar 21 has'a hollow bore 24 registering with the band perforation 20 so as to forma continuation thereof. Dog 25, having the faces .of its tooth 25acontoured to t the groove sets 17 and 18 '(see Fig. 3), rides in cavity24. Thus, 'tooth 25a has one face undercut and 'one face sloped. DogZ'S'is `loaded with spring 26, which is basedon a pair of opposed studs27 (Fig. 3) kprojecting into the bore 24. 'Shaft 28 'has .enlargedcentering portion 29 Iand connects dog 25 with 'dog adjustment knob 30.Slots 31a and 3111 ('Fig. 5) are formed in Walls 24 and are open at theouter end of 'arm 21. AStud 32 (Fig. 5) on enlarged portion l29 rides inone slot and can be displacedto'the other to reposition tooth 25arelative the groove sets. Slots 31a Aand 31b are precisely angularlyVdisposed so displacement of stud '32`from one to the other repositionsdog 25a to engage the opposing set of grooves l1'7 or 1S. The angulardis- .tance between slots 31a and 3117 is equal to the angle of reversalbetween the groove sets. Arm 22 is solid, although it is contemplatedthat it may be constructed sym- Ymetrical with arm 21 and the groovesspaced so as to .permit symmetrical application of force to member 15through two teeth 25a.

Spring 33 is positioned concentrically'between member 15 and sleeve 13and abuts band 19 and bearing surface 13a.

To operate the squeeze driven rotary device, the apparatus is graspedwith the palm bar abutting the vicinity of the base of the thumb whilethe ngers seize the finger bars .21 and 22 and are divided by theextension shank a. The desired direction of rotation of the member 15 isascertained and dog 25a ,is set correctly by positioning the stud 32 inthe proper slot 31a or 31h of arm 21. Squeezing the finger bars towardthe palm bar will cause the undercut edge of the dog 25a to engage theundercut upper wall 17a or 18a of one of the proper sets of grooves '17or 18 similarly to a ratchet pawl engaging a ratchet. Furthercontraction of the Vfingers now will force the revolution of rotatingmember 15. Spring 33 is compressed in this action.

The linger bar assembly will be stopped short of palm Ibai-'10 by theycompactionof spring 33 and extension of the operators lingers willpermit the return of the finger bar assembly to its original position.When the nger bar assembly begins a return to theA extended position,the sloped face of the tooth 25a rides up over the sloped side v1717 or18h of the groove 17 or 18, thereby avoiding reverse rotation ofrotatable member 15. Other grooves of either set are similarly passedover by the sloped face of tooth 25a in the return of the nger barassembly to `the extended position. When the nger bar assemblyretraction again begins, the tooth 25a rides up the surface o'frotatable member 15 until the undercut edge again catches the undercutwall 17a or 18a of a groove of the ,proper set to again produce rotationof member 15 in the selected direction. This cycle of action may becontinued as desired or the direction of rotation of member .15.reversed by repositioning stud 32 in the opposing groove 31a or 31h.Such repositioning may be accomplished without moving the body of thedevice.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaim.

As many possible embodiments may be vmade of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set `forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A squeeze driven rotating device comprising a palm bar, a cylindricalsleeve having substantially opposed longitudinal slots therein xed tosaid palm bar at right angles thereto, a cylindrical rotatable memberpartially enclose-d by and held relative the palm bar by said sleeve,apair of reversed sets of parallel spiral grooves formed in the surfaceof lsaid rotatable member, said sets ot grooves running from thevicinity of one end of the enclosed portion of the rotatable member tothe vicinity of the other end of said enclosed portion whereby saidrotatable member at any point in transverse cross section is equivalentto a ratchet wheel, a linger bar assembly comprising `a perforated bandencircling part of said enclosed portion of said rotatable lmember andalso encircled by said vvsleeve and a pair of finger bars attached tosaid band and extending outwardly therefrom through said slots in saidsleeve, said finger bar assembly movable from an extended position nearthe free end of said sleeve `to a contracted position near said palmbar, resilient means positioned between said sleeve and said rotatablemember operative to tend to maintain `the latter in said lextendedposition, a hollow portion formed in the inner vcontinuous cavity, saidspring driving said dog centrally 'against the face `of said rotatablemember, and a protrusion on said ydog 'face contacting said transversemember and engageable in one groove of said sets of grooves to serve asa'ratchet pawl, and means for kalternately tixedly setting said dog sosaid protrusion `will engage selectively only grooves of one of said.two reversed sets of grooves whereby motion of said finger bar assemblyfrom its extended to its contracted position will cause said ,protrusionto engage one groove of said selected set of grooves thereby translatinglongitudinal motion of said finger bar assembly to rotary movement in apredetermined direction ofthe rotatable member the upper walls adjacentthe palm .bar of each set of the reversed set of grooves undercut andthe lower walls of each set of grooves sloped, the face of the dogprotrusion which is to engage alternatively said `upper walls undercutand yits opposite face sloped whereby said protrusion readily engagesone of the grooves in a selected set inthe contracting motion of thefinger bar assembly and readily disengages from said groove in theextending motion of said finger bar assembly.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS759,823 Murch May 10, 1904 1,436,850 Aylesworth Nov. 28, 1922 2,474,377Shurtlei June 28, 1949

